The Great Northeast
You may be wondering, how in the world did I end up in Maine, of all places, for 48 hours? Believe it or not, it started over a year ago. After venturing to Seattle in the spring of 2011, it occurred to me that I’ve ventured to two corners of the US. Sure, technically Alaska would be the Northwest corner and Hawaii would be Southwest corner but unless someone is flying me there for a conference, those trips are going to be placed on hold.
Where was I? Yes, so the four corners of the continental US. After arriving on this side of the country, the idea of exploring the other two corners of the US became suddenly appealing. Almost serendipitously, as I was considering making a trip to Maine, my two great friends from college, KFC and Annie, felt the same urge to go. Maine might lack the appeal of other cosmopolitan cities that I’m used to visiting but there’s something about the Great Northeast that beckons me. It’s not urban or even suburban; it’s remote and seemingly tranquil. The rich, verdant milieu of Maine was exactly what I was looking for.
There are exactly two reasons you go to Maine: blueberries and lobstah. It’s funny, considering I spend the vast majority of my time doing research, I should have done more research for this trip. Turns out that visiting Maine in May is a tad early and not exactly lobster season. The lobster shacks off the side of the road, more commonly known as lobster pounds, were weeks away from opening. Nevertheless, we still managed to find our little red crustacean and let me tell you, it was worth the flight and five hour drive to get there. And those blueberries: blueberry ice cream, blueberry soda, blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, and blueberry margaritas. It was like being in a state of blueberry euphoria - absolutely amazing.
It would be an injustice to even begin trying to describe how beautiful the landscapes and how lush the environmental is. Maine is a state that needs to be experienced. From the hiking trails to the vantage points, the scenery is nothing short of breathtaking and to be able to witness one of the few places that is still relatively untarnished is surreal.
Forget Cancun, Maine is where you need to be this summer.
Location: Portland, Maine and Acadia National Park
Gear: Olympus EPL-2, Panasonic 20 1.7
DCHU Photography
